Today I started removing the overhead racks.

The first step was to find out what was running through the structure as far as electrical. Most of this will go away. The only circuit that is required is one wire for the center marker lamp on each side.

The rest is public address, sidewall lights and reading light power. I might be able to save some of the sidewall circuits for ambient rope light or something like that in the final build.

Under side of the overhead rack with reading lights and sidewall lighting intact.

 The right side of the bus after gutting out reading lamps and removing the speakers and sidewall lighting.

 I swept the floor before I started what happened?

"Vacancy" at the Resort

Answering to an add I posted on Craig's list. Two brothers starting a bus transport company needed seats and purchased my seats to use in their bus

 Now that the seats are gone two things can happen.

 1 continue gutting to remove overhead racks and open up the space further.

2 Have the bus inspected to change the title to Motor home.

Got Jakes?

On the way back from Verginia I played with the switch that said Jakeobs Engine brake but was un sure if the sytem had been de installed or not since nothing seemed to work.

 Using a toner to chase down the wire runs I found this switch on the governor box on the back of the motor that connects to the switch up front.

 The line on the pneumatic cyl that is on the left side of the switch goes to these pneumatic solenoids on the firewall above the engine

 I also found wires going in to the rocker covers. Not only on the right bank of cyl,

 But the left bank as well.  (Did I tell you this engine is a greasy PIG?)

Only time will tell if they really work.  Time to post something looking for help on the forum

Emergency Whatdown?

Today's blog I found the emergency shutdown solenoid on the bus not only disconnected but...

 If anyone understood the system you would know that this picture can't happen unless you have a very fast camera.

 The shaft on the flapper door to trip in an emergency by the shutdown solenoid is frozen in the open position. Something else to fix.

4-29-2011 update

During the day today I beat, cut, lubed, heated and destroyed the shaft in the unit but it is now out. 

I need the shaft and the spring for the plate

The good pieces are in the baggie and the plate could be re used

The spring was toast before I ever started

The shaft is mild steel and the housing is aluminium,

 dissimilar metal corrosion had a real good grip on the two of them 

The plate was held to the shaft with two roll pins.  How anyone ever intended to remove them for any type of service is beyond me. I found it necessary to tap them until they bound with the outer case and then die grind off the pins to get enough room to tap them the rest of the way out.

Another person on the busconversion forum said he had a complete unit I will see what he wants for it.

Brian's air box on delivery was completely different.  So the process of rebuild was started.

The picture below is after I reamed out the housing to put in two bronze bushings on a new shaft and re pinned the components on the shaft.

A lot of time was lost looking for a new or good used spring like the original to pre-load the door in side the box.  Eventually new springs were sourced from McMaster Carr and installed.

All parts were re secured with new roll pins and the interior roll pins were arched in place to keep any possibility of ingestion to a minimum.

All the components are re pinned in place now I need to actuate the Air box.

The old dogs and brackets are trashed and do not have a solid connection.

After hours of looking for something to replace them with at all the home improvement stores the solution was paper templates and flat stock sheet metal. Now two new brackets and a spring allow the Air box  to operate as needed.

One Bracket to release the catch on the shaft and trip the air box.

And a second to put tension on the return spring so the Air box resets when the shaft is turned.

Now the completed release and reset portion of the Air box.

Windshield Wiper Rebuild

The pantograph wipers on the bus are shaky at best. Thank God it didn't rain on the way home from VA.

The picture below shows how much slop there is in the bushing that holds the blade at a 90 deg angle to the windshield or in its case NOT.  When running the wipers I found the blades just flopping back and forth.

Now to search out a solution, re bush, rebuild, or replace. Most of the wear seems to be in what I would guess as the most expensive part of the assembly the riveted together arm

The commuter is almost gone!

The warm weather has some benefits.  It softened the vinyl application on the side of the bus so I was able to pull almost all of it off in one large chunk.

Both sides only have a small gray strip and the original commuter logo of cheap thin vinyl. Most of the red and black stripes are paint from the original paint job.

On a brighter side I spoke to Luke at US coach and found all replacement tail lights are available

Along with all turn and marker lights.

Enter Samson and Budd

This is the new Samson 12R22.5 tire I purchased to put the bus back on the road again.

 While the wheel was off the bus I spent some time playing chip away on the built up rust and chipping paint inside and outside the wheel.  Mike with 40+ years of trucking maintenance experience evaluated the rim and said he would not run it!! especially on a steer axle.  Corrosion and time have taken its toll on the old wheel.

The Samson Tire lived up to it's name it took 4 men with 1 vise grip 2 pry bars and a tire hammer to coax it on too the wheel. Now with a good used wheel from Mike and his warehouse of parts.  In the left front I am officially RE tired and rimmed as well.

After getting the tire back on the bead a hissing sound was heard, not a leak at the bead but...

 A hole in the tire not only in the tire where it could be patched but In the sidewall. The tire can't even be used for recap if the tread was gone. To add insult to injury the tire was a 2005 tire and still had 5 years of life just sitting befor it had to be replaced.

I spent some time cleaning the inside of the rim and asked the boss at the shop mounting the tire what he thought of it.  He asked me where on the bus it was and afterlearning it was the left steer tire he told me he wouldn't run it to much corrosion and pitting. Now $45.00 for a good used rim and over $300.00 for the best deal I could get on a 12r22.5 16 ply tire the entire left front conrer will be new or good used.

Grease and oil removal

I have to date, Pressure washed the engine after purple power solvent application, used two cans of foaming engine cleaner and rinsed with " Hudson" sprayers to remove the dissolved grime, and a second coat of foaming cleaning degreaser with another rinse down of water. The final result being more cleaning required, this engine is a grease pig. I am worried about the amounts of debris an oil slick that it has produced in my driveway and in the storage lot it is in. The old owners ran this bus until the leaks coated everything with oil and debris until the clean up is monumental.